Have You Prepared Your Case?

Have You Prepared Your Case?

“See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated.” Job 13:18. Job could say this after he had lost everything and was afflicted with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. One could say, “He had to be stubborn and self-righteous,” but he wasn’t! God gives him this testimony: “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” When we consider his end, we see that he was twice as rich after he was tested than he was before. We see that God also testified that Job had prepared his case.

We learn more from this. Job had prepared his case, and even though he was the most God-fearing man on earth, God had still greater plans for him. In order to lead him to a greater glory he had to endure greater tribulations; and in order for God to make him known as the most God-fearing man on earth, Job had to endure greater things than others.

Job did not understand God’s plan with him, but he believed God, praised Him, and did not blame Him for what had happened. At the same time, Job held fast to his righteousness. He did not begin to waver regarding the way he had gone, even though his three friends thought he had to be a sinner since God had punished him like this. And this is the very crux of the problem.

Most believers don’t understand anything else except that God will bless them if they live a righteous life before Him. Then they think they will not experience any tribulations. Instead of having this proof that “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Rom. 8:16), they judge whether they are righteous before God or not by whether they experience prosperity or adversity.

Because they live with this misunderstanding, God cannot receive them as sons and lead them to a greater glory through chastisement and sufferings. Heb. 2:10, 12:6, 11. But He could treat the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord in that way. Jas. 5:10-11. When we have this understanding, we call them blessed who suffer patiently. Paul gloried in his tribulations because they produced patience. Rom. 5:3.

If you have not come to a life of walking in the Spirit, and thereby gained the testimony of the Spirit, you will waver at the least adversity and difficulty. However, Job was not in doubt concerning the life he lived even though he could not understand why God treated him like this.

“Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.” Job 27:5-6.

If God chastens us so that we can partake of more of His holiness, and we then reject the life of which we have partaken, it is as if we constantly have to begin again. What would then happen to growth and progress if we always had to start over again?

“I have [only] heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” Even though he had only heard of God, Job was so faithful that God gave him the testimony that no one was like him on earth, one who feared God and shunned evil. What would happen now that he had seen God? Now he understood why God had treated him like that, and so he took everything back that he had uttered in the hour of testing because of his lack of understanding, and he repented in dust and ashes. However, he did not repent in dust and ashes because of the glorious life he had lived—that is something which he did not regret.

Now we have the advantage of not having to be ignorant in our tribulation—as Job was. We know why. 1 Pet. 4:12-13. Paul writes that tribulations produce patience. Now we experience what Job said, “Yet the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.” Timothy did not waver when he was exhorted to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness! 1 Tim. 6:11. He did not think: “Nothing much has happened in my life, but now it is going to be different!” Not at all! This exhortation strengthened him to increase even more in the life he had lived.

Paul was so certain of the life he lived and the gospel he preached that he writes to the Galatians: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Gal. 1:8-9, 16.

In these days it is not modern to be certain. It is considered pride. Everything has to be discussed, and the evidence of your humility is that you don’t say anything definite. Then again, it is not modern either to have victory over sin, and when a person sins, he cannot have the witness of the Spirit in his spirit. Therefore everything is in a state of uncertainty. Paul did not fluctuate back and forth, for God had revealed His Son in him so that he would proclaim the gospel. The intention is that we, too, are firmly grounded in the faith (Col. 2:5) and in a life with God so we can receive the following exhortation: “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” Rev. 3:11.